Electric railway



.patented May i9, i936 Application September 28, 1932, Serial No. 635,288

2 claims. (ci. 1re-ase) in il* f E rihe object of the invention is to provide an electric railway in which the propulsion means is of such form as to exert a constant pull on the car just in advance of the latter; to provide a propulsion means which omits any mechanically movable parts other than the car itself, so that the latter may be advanced at a great rate or speed; to provide a construction of the kind indicated in which the propelling force is automatically regulated to vary its relation to the car, in order that the latter may be brought to a stop at a Apredetermined station or point; and generally to provide a construction which is composed of a minimum number o1" moving parts, thus reducing to a minimum the number of elements subject to wear by reason or relative movement.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts or" which a preferred embodiment is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings but to which ein-- Figure iis `a View partly in elevation and partly ir section of a railway constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View on the plane indicated by the line le-2 of Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating respectively the starting, intermediatev and terminal sections o'f the system embodying n cari ing out the invention, the car lll ernployed is of the monorail form, traversing a single traction rail i! which is engaged by the double flange supporting rollers i2 mounted on the under side of the body of the car. Upright position of the car is maintained by reason of its top rollers it engaging the guide rail i5. Practical operation of the system calls' for the mounting of the rails H and i5 in a tube or conduit i5. which may be above or below ground but which throughout its length, is surrounded with a magnetizing coil 2iV which, when energized, creates a pull on the carconnected with the upper and lower rollers lil;

and "i2, a control switch is being interposed in the propulsion magnet circuit.

The track is divided intoI a plurality of isolated blocirs, by reason or" the insulating joints 255 which f gm c are included both in the guide and traction rails, these blocks being indicated on the drawings by the reference characters A. B, C, D H, J, K V, W, X, Y, Z. The winding 2l is divided into zones, each corresponding to a block, the zone A being coupled to the zone B through 'the circuit control devices a-a, the B zone being coupled to the C zone similarly through the circuit control devices b-b, and so on through similarly identied circuit control devices down to the final or terminal zone Z. Each of the circuit control devices b, c, d, h, ik, o, w, r and y comprises a magnet 22 and a spring retracted armature 23 adapted to bridge a pair oi spaced contacts when the armature is attracted and similarly to bridge a corresponding pair of spaced contacts when it is retracted by its spring. Each armature 23 embodies av bridging member' 2a closing a pair of spaced contacts when the armature is retractedvthe bridging or circuit closing element 24 being insulated from the armature 23 on which it is carried. The circuit control device a' comprises a magnet 25 and associated spring retracted armature 2S, the latter bridging a pair ofV spaced contacts when it is attracted by the magnet and another pair of opositely disposed spaced contacts when it is retracted. This armature diers from the armatures 23 in omitting the bridging plate or circuit closing element 2t. The

circuit control devices a', b', c', d', 71,', j', ic', o',

m and e comprise magnets 2l and spring retracted armatures 2S, the latter bridging spaced contacts when attracted but being inactive insofar as any circuit closing function is concerned when retracted by their associated springs.

While a single energizing circuit for the coil 2l and circuit control devices may be provided, it is desirable to use two energizing circuits, as indicated at 29 and 3i), the latter constituting the energizing circuit for the control devices and having its one side, for example, its positive side, connected to the traction rail in each separate block of the latter, the connection in the block A being direct and the connection in the remaining blocks being through the magnets 21 of the control devices o', b', c', d' and so on. The magnet 25 of the control device a. is connected across the guide rail and the negative side of the energizing circuit 33 but in the block A. The magnets 22 of the-control devices b, c, d and so on are connected across the guide rail and the negative side of the circuit 30 and in the blocks E, C, D and so on. if the rails H and are bridged by a metallic medium,as they will be by the car circuit when in any one bloc-lr, the circuit ...wafflwill be closed on the magnet 25 of the circuit control element d when the car is in the block A. When it is in th block B, the circuit will be closed on the magnets of the control devices a and o' these two magnets being thrown in series across the control circuit Se. It is the same way with the remaining blocks.

The sections of the magnetizin1r coil corresponding to the zones A, B, C and D are cut into and out of circuit with the power energizing circuit 29, when the armatures of the control devices are attracted or released.

The operation of the car is based upon the principle of the solenoid or long-range magnet, the car corresponding to the movable core or" such a magnet. Since a movable core will tend to center itself in a solenoid, any one or" the zones A, B, C and so on will, i1" energized alone, tend to move the car to the longitudinal center of the coil, or if two or more zones oe grouped in series will tend to center the car at the center of the combined lengths oi the connected sections or zones. For the sake of clarity in explanation, the point to which there will oe a tendency to move the car and retain it is arbitrarily refer ed to as the centeror" attraction.

Since closure of the circuit 3U is dependent on bridging the rails l5 and H, there will be no activity of the system if the switch l be open. for then the magnets of the circuit control devices will all be deenergized and the attendant armatures will be retracted by their respective springs to inactive positions. If the switch i9 he closed, however, and the car be in the block A, current will flow from the positive line of the control circuit 3S over the conductor 3i to the traction rail in the block A, thence to the roller l2, through the winding of the propulsion magnet to the guide rail l5 and thence through the conductor 32. magnet 25 of circuit control element a, and conductor 33 to the negative side of the control circuit. But energizing the magnet 25 of the control element o will result in its armature 25 beingr attracted and activating the winding 2i in the zones A, B and C, current owing from the positive side of the circuit 29 over the conductor Sil through the winding in the zone A. thence over the conductor 35 to the armature thence over the conductor 35 to that section of the winding in the zone B, thence over the conductor 3l to the bridge plate 24 of the circuit control element b, since the armature 23 of the circuit control element l) is retracted by its spring. Leaving the plate currentwill pass over the conductor 38 to that part of the winding comprised in the zone C, leaving which it passes over the conductor 39, the bridge plate 24 of the circuit control element c and the conductor 4c back to the negative side or" the power circuit 29. The sections or zones A, B and C are those placed in series and the center of attraction will appear somewhere in the zone B with the result that the car will move toward this point. But before it reaches it, it will have passed from the block A into the block B and in leaving A, the circuit on the magnet 25 of the circuit control element a will be opened, so that its armature 26 will be re racted. thus opening the circuit on the zone A of the magnet 2l. In passing into the block B, however, the car will bridge the two rails in this block and current will flow from the positive side of the control circuit over the conductor fil through theiinagnet ol' the circuit control element o, over the 'conductor l2 to the traction rail in bloei; E, thence through the appliances in the car to the guide rail i5 in the block B, thence over the conductor through the magnet of the circuit control element b and over the conductor ed to the negative side or" the control circuit. The armature of the circuit control elements a' and b will thus be attracted,A the former bridging its cooperating contacts and the latter bridging a diierent pair of contacts than formerly. The current from the coil energizing circuit will then be confined to the zones B and C, current flowing from the positive side of the power circuit 29 over the conductor d5, the arrnat c 25 of the control device c, the conductor alii, the armature of the control device o', the conductor that portion of the winding El comprised in the zone B, thence over the conductor 3l, the armature 23 of the control device h, the conductor i8 and thence through th section of the winding 2l comprised in the zone C and 'pack o the negative side or" the energizing circuit as recited above. Since the zones B and C are at this instant the only energized zones, the center or" attraction will appear approximately at the juncture of the blocks B and C. Whereas the car was formerly moving to reach a mid-point in the zone B, at

which the center of attraction appeared when it occupied the zone A, this center of attraction has moved forward to the line of juncture between the zones B and C, because the car upon passing out or the zone A effected the cutting out or" that zone.

When the car passes out of the zone or block B, the control devices 0, and b assume their former position because of the circuit being broken on their respective magnets. But on entering the zone C. the control devices b and c are energized and their respective armatures actuated which cuts out the zone B and throws in circuit the zone D, in the same manner as described with reference to the zones A. B and C. The center of attraction therefore disappears from its position in the region of the point of connection between the zones B and C and reappears between the zones C and D, that the car is advanced at this point and so on through the remaining zones to the terminal zone.

Where the speed is to be maintained uniform, the zones are of approximately uniform length, being increased in length where the speed is to 'oe increased and reduced in length Where the speed is to be reduced. In bringing the car to rest at the end of the run, it passes into the terminal zones V, W, X, Y and Z which are of progressively reduced lengths, so that the centers of attractie-n of the succeeding zones appear at progressively reduced distances from each other. In passing through these reduced lengths of zones, however, the control devices o, v', w, w', x and r and y function in the same manner as cutting in approaching zones and cutting out past zones, just as described with reference to zones A, B ,and C. rThe car is finally brought into the zone Z, having passed into which, the control devices and y are deenergized, thus leaving the zone Z the only energized zone and the center of attraction of which will be at approximately its longitudinal center. With the car in the final zone Z, the circuit on the magnet of the control device c will be energized, current flowing from the positive side of the control circuit 3D over the conductor 49, through the magnet and the conductor 5U to the traction rail. It passes thence through the car mechanism to the guide rail of the block Z and thence over the conductor 5l back to the negative side of the control circuit, But energizing a if the magnet of the control device e attracts its armature and results in placing only the zone Z of the winding 2i across the power circuit '23, current flowing over the conductor 52, through the armature of the control device e', over the conductor 53 and thence back to the negative side of the power circuit over the conductor 5. The car will thus ce retained in the zone Z, for any tendency to pass beyond this point will result in la, backward pull on the car from the center of attraction and the car will center itself in the zone Z. This zone Z can be' deenergized after the car has been brought to rest, by opening the switch i9 on the car, which, breaking the circuit between the guide and traction rails, will deenergize the magnet of the control device e thus permitting the retraction of its armature and the opening of the circuit on the winding comprising the zone by breaking connection between the contacts with which the conductors 52 and 53 are connested.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

l. An electric railway comprising a track composed of spaced rails. a car spanning and traversing said rails, an energizing coil continuous throughout the length of and in surrounding relation to the track and in axial coincidence with the car, the track being divided into electrically isolated blocks, energizing means for the coil,

circuit control elements interposed between the j acciao? 3 energizing means and the coil and dividing the latter into zones, supplemental circuit control elements electrically connected with said blocks, an electromagnetic propulsion coil carried by said car and placed in circuit with the supplemental circuit control elements as the car advances from one block to another, said supplemental circuit control elements controlling the rst said circuit control elements to maintain the center of attraction in said coil immediately in advance of said car.

2. An electric railway comprising a track, a car traversing the track, a magnetizing coil in surrounding relation to the track and in axial coincidence with the ear, energizing means for the coil, and a plurality of spaced circuit control elements interposed between the energizing means and the coil and dividing the latter into a plurality of magnetic Zones of constant length from the starting point to a point adjacent the terminus and of progressively decreasing length from said point to the terminus, said constant length zones exceeding the length or" the car and the remaining zones being of lengths less than that or" the length of the car, the control elements being car actuated to maintain the center cf attraction in each succeeding Zone just ahead of the car, except in the final zone where the center of attraction is in the zone of the car.

WILEY O. HGPKINS. 

